How to Make a Sprinkle Cake

I’ve been asked so many times how I make my sprinkle covered cakes. They just have happy written all over them, in the form of a sprinkle.

I love sprinkle cakes because:
A. They’re super easy to make
B. They’re simple to replicate for any occasion just by switching up the sprinkles you use
C. You can make them with any flavor cake!

When kids AND adults love them, you really can’t go wrong.

Below you’ll find the recipe for my Vanilla Sprinkle Cake. Take note, this is a doctored cake mix recipe, super easy to make for those of you who are looking for fast, quick and simple. I’m a fast, quick and simple girl. If you want to try this technique with a from-scratch recipe, do it! It’s the same decorating instructions.

Vanilla Sprinkle Cake

You will need:
A variety of sprinkles!
sparkling sugars
sanding sugar
jimmies
(2) 8 Inch Round Cake Pans
cake leveler or sharp knife
non-stick spray
Angled Icing Spatula
sparkling sugar crystals
pearlized jimmie sprinkles
8 inch cake boards
jelly roll pan

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 oz box) Vanilla Duncan Hines cake mix
1 (3.4 oz box) vanilla Jell-o instant pudding
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
4 large egg whites
1 batch buttercream icing (recipe card below)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 8 inch round cake pans with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pans tapping out the excess flour. Set the prepared pans aside.
2. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Scrape the sides of the well and mix again until all the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, filling each one approximately 3/4 full.
4. Place the pans in the preheated oven on middle rack. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Remove the pans from the oven and place on wire cooling racks for 25-30 minutes.
6. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes, flip the pans over and gently extract the cakes.
7. Return the cakes to the wire racks and finish cooling completely before frosting and decorating.
8. Meanwhile, make one batch of buttercream frosting.

To assemble and decorate the cake:
1. Before decorating, trim the crowns from the cake tops with a cake cutter or long errated knife so they are flat and even.
2. Place one of the 8 inch cakes on a cake board. Using an angle cake spatula spread about 1/2 cup frosting evenly across the top of the cake layer. Place the second 8 inch cake on top of the first, with the cut side on the bottom. Using the angled cake spatula, cover the sides of the cake completely with a very thin layer of icing (AKA crumb coat) to reduce the amount of crumbs in the final coat of icing. Set the two-tiered 8 inch cake aside for one hour to dry, or until the icing crusts.
3. Mix sprinkle assortment in a jelly roll pan. Set aside.
4. Add a second layer of icing around the sides of 8 inch cake. Do not ice the top.
5. Cut 8″ cake board smaller than the size of the top of your cake. Place on top of the cake.
6. Holding onto the top of the cake board on the top of the cake and the cake board on the bottom of the cake, turn the cake sideways and roll it in the jelly roll pan of sprinkles, turning the cake in a circular motion as you roll. Roll until all cake sides have been coated in sprinkles.
7. Return cake to cake turntable or cake plate and ice the top of the cake with the angled cake spatula. Using your hands, add loose sprinkles to the top of the cake to coat. Pat sprinkles down using a flat spatula or turner.
8. Voila!

Here is a quick step-by-step video for reference:

For additional cake recipes check out my book Eat More Dessert

Video by Northern Peak Productions

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